Method of simultaneously mining and washing clay, kaolin, &amp;c.



BATENTED JUN-E 19, 1906.

M. WANNER. I METHOD OFYSIMULTANBOUSLYZ MINING AND WASHING CLAY, KAOLIN, (Km.

2 whims-S EET 1 APPLIGATIONTILED MAR-28,1905.

ore/"burden NO. 823,749. PATENTEDiJU-NE 19, 1906.

. M. WANNERf METHOD OF SIMULTANBOUSLY MINING AND WASHING CLAY, KAOLIN, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED BIA 11.28.1905.

2 SHBETS SHIET 2.

witheme v Q in-I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. H

MARTIN WANNER, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO THOMAS SKELTON HARRISON, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF SIMULTANEOUSLY MINING AND WASHING CLAY, KAOLlN.-&c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 1%, 1906. I

city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Method of Simultaneously Mining and Washing Clay, Kaolin, and other 'Analogou-s Deposits, of which the following is aspeclfication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- F1gure 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of one form'of apparatus whereby my process 'may be practiced. .Fig. 2 illustrates aperspective vertical sectional view showinga gang of apparatus similar'to that illustrated -B the kaolin "or clay strata; C, the exterior 1pc; D, the interior pipe; E, the nozzle on the end of the interior pipe; F, perforations therein near the end-,which maybe employed, if desired, to divide the water column into a series of separated jets; G, the water-space 6o between the two pipes; H, a coupling whereby a discharge-spout ,I may be conveniently connected, and J the stuffing-box. In this figure I do not show the water-supply pipe nor the conduit for conveying the claycharged water tothe settling-tank or filterpress. In this figure'also a cavity K is shown as having been already made in the kaolin bed, and at the bottom of this cavity at L the surface strata in Fig. 1 arranged in series.

My improved method,-generally stated, consists in drivin a suitable pipe through forming the overburden into the clay, kaolin, 'or similar deposit the desired distance, and withinthis exterior tube are shown the particles of quartz, unaltered 7 feldspar, and other granular matter which has been washed out or separated from the fine kaolin or clay and whichowing to its relatively greater specific gravity has settled to the bottom of the cavity, whereas thefine or pipe, through a suitable stuffing box placed at 1ts upper end, there is inserted another.

pipe the exterior diameter of which is considerably smaller than the interior diameter of the outer pipe, so that there is a considerable sppce between the two for water passage,

and t s interior pipe is connected at the top wlth a water-supply pipe and has a suitable nozzle or jet-producing device at its lower end.

In operation the water is forced under'reqr uisite pressure downwardly through the interior pipe and is forcibly ejected-from its washin therefrom'all fine material, the parlower end, which, as stated, lies within the,

clay or kaolin strata, disintegrating it and ticles 0 which are held in suspension in the water and carried'by it in the upward rush of thelcurrent through the space or waterway .between the two pipes,-and upon reaching the top it passes through a suitable spout and is discharged into a conduit, by which it is conveyed to a suitable settlingtank or tanks, in which the fineclay or kaolin freed from all quartz, unaltered feldspar, and other residual matter will speedily settle or precipitate, or instead of employin settling tanks the charged water maybe orced directly through filter-presses, according to practices now well known.

Referring now to the drawings, in Fig. 1 ,A represents the superimposed body or strata of the upper soil or overburdenjso called;

. sistance below permits.

vimpalpable matter of less specific gravity has been elevated in the upwardly-flowing current and discharged, as above stated. It is a well-known physical fact-that clay or kaolin beds are, as may be stated, automatically fluen't that is to say, if a cavity be made therein and there be any considerable superimposed weight the kaolin or clay will v itself move or flow from all sides toward sub.

stantially the center of the cavity, tending to 5 fill the same. Therefore when in the operation of my apparatus and the practice of my process a cavity of any considerable area has been formed the surrounding kaolin or clay will by itself move inwardly, thus continu- 9 ously supplying material for a continuance of the operation, and in order that I may onlarge the cavity, if necessary, to inducesuch 'flowing I so construct the stufiifig-box that the interior pipe D may be dropped down- 5 wardly through it as desired, so as to increase the size of the cavity. Indeed, I prefer to so adjust the pressure of the stufiing-box against the interior pipe that it will automatically of its own weight adjust itself by sliding spon- 10o taneously through the stuffing-box as the re.

My, process may be racticed by the use of a single apparatus .suc as disclosed in Fig. 1

but I prefer to arrange a series of them, as it were, in multiple, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the parts of'the individual ap aratus areior may be the same as hereto ore described connection with Fig. 1, in addition to which I illustrate the following parts.

' flexible pipe, such asvhose, connecting with nipples on the water-supply pipe and with the upper ends of theinjection-pipes D, so that the latter may have requisite movement through the exterior pipes for the purpose described.

In some or the ap aratus shown in Fig. 2 I illustrate the pi es as being near their uper osition an in others at a lower position.

n t isjfigure also I show six only of the apparatus ganged together. In practice the number may be indefinitely extended, as the nature or area of the deposit may require. When a series of apparatus is arranged in gangs-'21. e., in multiple, as illustrated in 2 ,large. quantities of kaolin or clay may be mined and washed very inexpensively and satisfactorily.

It will be noted that when my process is practiced with the apparatus arranged in I multiple they should be placed sufficiently .near together, so that. .the excavations formed Will be such as to practically exhaust the clay or kaolin strata at the place where they are locatedin other words, so that the flowage of the clay or kaolin to fill the cavities shall be practically uniform in order that there shall be a gradual subsidence 0f the overburden Without breaking up the clay or kaolin strata into fissures or holes, through which some of the upper soil or overburden might pass 'downwardl thereto, which might result in the mingl ng of the overburden therewith, thus adulterating or de rading the quality of the product. .It wfil be noted also that my process and the apparatus whereby I practice it are essentially difierent from that used in the extraction of salt from a subterranean salt bed wherein water is allowed to pass to the salt strata and after becoming impregnated or saturated therewith is pum ed out again, because under my process t e water must be injected under pressure and with suflicient force to not only disintegrate and break down the Walls of the kaolin or clay bed, but also to finely disin i tegrate the kaolin or clay itself, whereby the finer particles will be caught by the uprushing current, leaving all coarser articles or impurities behind. Conse uent y the force of the water-current shoul be regulated in my process so as to effect .the stated disintegration, separation, and elevation. In saltmining also the process relies u on the solution of the salt by the water,'w iereas in my process there is no solution whatever, but simply a mechanical disintegration of the de- Iposit and a mechanical carrying of the clay or aolin articles by the water.

I cal particular attention to the fact that under my process I effect the followin marked advantages not heretofore realize in the mining of subterranean clay deposits, so far as I am informed't. c., the great expense and labor necessary for, the removal of perhaps a heavy deposit of overburden are entirely avoided. The thickness of the overburden is of no consequence in the practice of my process, because it may be carried on -with equal effectiveness whether the overburden be of slight thickness only or of great thickness, even one hundred feet or more. Of course the labor and expense of driving the exterior conduit-pipes slightly increases as the thickness of the overburden increases; but this is a matter of trivial consequence. Indeed, the greater the weight of the overburden within certain limits the more satisfactorily my process operates, because of the greater weight tending to more immediate and satisfactory flowing of the underlying clay or kaolin deposit. Again, the labor account is reduced to a ridiculous minimum as compared with the same account under present practices. Pratically all that is necessary is a single engineer to run the pumps for works of an indefinite capacity. All the rest of the operation is practically automatic. A ain, all labor and expense of washing or otIierwise effecting the separation of the fine kaolin or clay material from its impurities (quartz, unaltered feldspar, &c. are avoided.) Again, the several operations of minin washing, or separating and elevating may 531 be effected as a continuous operation without any intervening handling or without any additional apparatus other than the exceedingly simple apparatus described, which offeets all three of these operations. Lastly, that which is a matter of consequence in many neighborhoods, owing to the prejudice that owners of clay beds frequently have to a defacement of the surface, because of the inevitable decrease of value in the adjoining properties, is obviated by the practice of my process, for it does not produce any unsightly superficial excavations, piles of debris, and other defacements, and I also re quire no dumping-ground whatever. The gradual subsidence of the surface as the clay or kaolin de osit is exhausted results merely in change 0 surface elevation, usually without seriously interfering with surface growths or materially altering surface contours.

Obviously modifications may be made in the details of the apparatus above described by me without departing from the essentials suflieient water-pressure in the cavity thus formed in the deposit to regulate the subsidence of the overburden and to convey the finer particles of the disintegrated material to the surface by the return-flow of the water in its escape from said cavity,.and continuously conveying the samethencefor further manipulation. v

2. The process of mining clay and similar subterranean deposits consisting in'disintegrating the de osit by means of water car ried through t e overburden and projected against the deposit under such pressure as will disintegrate it and maintain sufficient pressure in the cavity formed in the deposit to regulate the subsidence of the overburden and convey the finer'particles of the disintegrated material to the surface by the returnflow of the water, leaving the coarser material within. the cavity of the excavation.

3. The process of'miningclay and similar subterranean deposits consisting in breaking up the deposit by means of water carried through the overburden and projected against the. deposit under suflieient pressure to disin' tegrate it and maintain pressure in the cavity formed in the deposit adequate to regulate the subsidence of the overburden and to convey the. finer particles of the disintegrated material to the surface by the return-flow of ,the'water, leavin the coarser material with--.

in the cavity of t e excavation" and continu ously conveying the fine removed material away for further manipulation.

4. The process 'of mining clay and similar subterranean deposits consisting in disintegrating the deposit bym'eans of a series of water columns under pressure carried through the overburden and projected against the de-' posit, maintaining suflicient water-pressure in the cavity thus formed in the deposit to- 1 rial disinte ratedby' each water column to regulate the subsidence of the overburden and to convey the-finer particles of the matethe surface y the return-flow of the Water of that column in its escape from said cavityv and conveying the same thence for further manipulation.

do notlimit myit mining clay and similar 5. The process of mining clay-and similar subterranean deposits consisting in disintegrating the deposit by means of a-series of water columns underpressure carried throu h the overburden and projected against t. e

deposit maintaining water-pressure in the cavity formed in the deposit, conveying the i fine material disinte rated by the water columns to the surface y the return-flow of the water in its escape from said cavity, the several watercolumns being so located relative to each other that the series of excavations made by them in the deposit will be of'such area and so'located as to permit uniform subsidence ofthe superposed deposit without producing material ruptureof orfissures in it. j 6. The process of mining clay and similar subterranean deposits consisting. in disintegrating the deposit by means of a series of the overburden and projected against the deposit maintaining water-pressure in the cavity formed in the deposit, the pressure being so regulated as that the return-flow of the water in its escape from saidv cavity will ele vate to the surface the fine disintegrated ina- 'be of such area and solocated as to permit uniform subsidence of the superposed deposit without producing material rupture of or fissures in i 7. The process of mining clay and similar. subterranean deposits consisting in disintegrating the deposit by means of water under pressure carried through the overburden and projected against the deposit, maintaining suflicient water-pressure in. the cavity thus formed in the deposit to regulate the subsidence' of the overburden and to conveythefiner particles of the disintegrated material to the surface by the return-flow of the water in its escape'from said cavity, and adjusting the point of projection of the water under pressure against the walls of the excavation as it gradually enlarges.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, MARTIN wANNER.

Witnesses:

F. M. Do sBAoH, E. CUNNINGHAM.

75 v water columns underpressure carriedthrough 

